Strawberries Companion Plants
Strawberries are low-growing perennials that share bed space well with shallow-rooted, compact neighbors. Thoughtful companions can draw in pollinators and beneficial insects, shade out weeds, and make better use of the ground around each crown. As with all companion planting, these are traditional pairings and results will vary with your soil, climate, and pest pressure.
Good companions for Strawberries
| Plant | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Borage | Its blue flowers attract bees and other pollinators that improve strawberry fruit set. |
| Bush beans | As legumes they help build soil nitrogen and stay low enough not to shade the berries. |
| Lettuce | This quick, shallow-rooted crop fills the gaps between crowns and acts as a living mulch. |
| Spinach | Grows fast in cool weather and shares the bed early before strawberries fill in. |
| Chives | Their strong onion scent is traditionally used to help mask the planting from some pests. |
| Thyme | A creeping, aromatic ground cover that suppresses weeds and draws in beneficial insects. |
| Marigold | Long grown at bed edges in the belief that it discourages soil pests and root-feeding nematodes. |
| Garlic | Its pungent aroma is a classic border planting thought to deter browsing pests. |
Keep Strawberries away from
| Plant | Why to separate them |
|---|---|
| Cabbage and other brassicas | These heavy feeders compete strongly for nutrients and are traditionally seen as poor strawberry neighbors. |
| Tomatoes | A nightshade that shares susceptibility to Verticillium wilt, which can carry over to strawberries. |
| Potatoes | Another nightshade that can host and spread the same soil wilt diseases that harm strawberries. |
| Peppers | Like other nightshades, they raise the risk of shared Verticillium wilt in the bed. |
| Fennel | It tends to inhibit nearby plants and is a poor companion for most vegetables and berries. |
| Mint | It spreads aggressively by runners and will quickly crowd out low-growing strawberry crowns. |
Tips
Give strawberries a bed that has not grown nightshades such as tomatoes or potatoes in the last few years, since soil wilt diseases can linger and affect the crowns. Tuck low, fast crops like lettuce and spinach between plants early in the season, and keep tall or sprawling neighbors out so the berries get full sun and good airflow. Treat these pairings as a starting point rather than a rule, and watch your own beds to see what works in your conditions.
← All companion planting guides
Companion planting is a traditional practice; results vary with your climate, soil, and garden. Page updated Aug 4, 2026.